


Before You Go

by buttless



Series: Visits to Ritsu [3]
Category: Loveless
Genre: Gen, Hospital, Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-23 21:41:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6130987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buttless/pseuds/buttless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Ritsu waking up in the hospital next to Soubi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before You Go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DailyDaves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DailyDaves/gifts).



Nagisa was in hysterics last night, Ritsu could hear her in the hallway. She was always like this, he understood it as the way that things were, and didn’t totally hate her for it. In a way, it was partially his fault that the thought of loosing someone close to her scared her so thoroughly. She had already lost her sister. Ritsu knew Nagisa was never going to let go of that. She stayed away from him when she was in a state though, close by, waiting, but not so close that he could hold a hand out to her tear streaked face. After what seemed like hours someone finally dragged her back to her rooms, and once her racket stopped Ritsu finally fell to sleep. 

When he woke, he felt as though he had been sleeping for days, and had the uncomfortable feeling of waking up in a bed that was not his own, disoriented. And then the pain hit him, shooting through what felt like his entire body. And when he shifted slightly he felt how stiff his back and shoulders were. The room was flooded with daylight already, Ritsu was unaware. He was also unaware of the silent presence in the corner of the room. Soubi was good at making his presence small. He cleared his throat, seeing that Ritsu had awoke and not wanting to wait any longer to let him know he was there, Soubi would only loose the courage to do so. 

Ritsu turned his head in the direction of Soubi, hearing the noise loud and clear, and waiting with an expectant look on his face. 

Soubi spoke up, again fearful and ready to get the encounter over with. “It’s me, Sensei.” 

“Soubi-kun...” A sad smile curled onto Ritsu’s face as he immediately recognized sweet Soubi’s hesitant voice. 

Soubi shifted in his chair, seemingly uncomfortable now that Ritsu was awake. He had been more content waiting for the man, as if maybe he would never arise out of his sleep. If he could stay in that peaceful and disarmed sate forever... Soubi didn’t respond for a moment, instead he studied Ritsu’s reaction to waking up in the hospital. The man seemed... as calm as ever. Soubi supposed it did take a lot to shake him. In fact, Ritsu didn’t even look ill, he looked well rested, like he was waking up on any other morning. 

The EKG, the blood tests, the medicines, the IV and monitors hooked up to him... Last night was a blur, a rush, and a huge disappointment to the already disabled man. He never would’ve thought that this is how he would end up, middle aged, already significantly disabled, and now suffering from a heart attack. His true name may be Endless, but often it felt as though the end to his own life was quite near. 

“Nagisa...” Soubi spoke slowly, unsure of how Ritsu was feeling, what he was thinking, and if it had really been a good idea to come visit him. “Nagisa said that you had a heart attack. You’re not quite that old Sensei.” 

“I’ll pretend that was a compliment.” Ritsu replied in his usual smug way. He fingered the tubes attached to his arm, irritated that they were right above his name on his wrist. He didn’t like other people looking at it. And he didn’t make a habit of showing it to Soubi, he pulled at the blanket to let it fall over that wrist and that name. “I’ll recover, it’s a minor set back.” 

Ritsu never seemed to take his health seriously, Soubi didn’t know if it was a front or not but he could see in the way that Nagisa interacted with him that it was a daily occurrence. 

“A set back that could have killed you,” Soubi mumbled. A smile crept onto Ritsu’s face. A Soubi-cares-smile. ‘Don't look at me in that disgusting way,’ Soubi wanted to say. But Ritsu wouldn’t be receptive to that, in fact it would completely backfire to complain. 

“I won't be killed so easily, Soubi-kun. I have enough scars by now to prove that,” Ritsu reassured him.

Soubi knew that that was only dangerous, idiotic thinking. It was hypocritical too, going against the lessons Ritsu had taught him. Ritsu would say, know your limits Soubi-kun. If you push yourself too hard too fast, you are only a burden on your partner. It was why Ritsu hated the Zero series, no pain sensors to tell them when to stop, when to take care of themselves, when to back out. 

“Ritsu-sensei, I won't be coming by to see you every time you collapse. Nagisa begged me to come last night and I was fooled by her over exaggeration.” In short he thought Ritsu was on his death bed. “I wouldn’t be sad to miss your passing, you would be fooling yourself to think so.” A lie, a lie he told himself. “Take better care of yourself, I know you still have certain things you’d like to see happen before you keel.” ‘Like the death of my Sacrifice.’ 

Soubi rose from his seat rather abruptly after he finished telling Ritsu off. Stupid, stupid to have come all the way here for this man. “Good bye, Sensei.” He hadn’t been here for years, only coming back when Ritsuka ordered him to. On that trip he had seen Ritsu for the first time in four years. Now, just a few months later he was back, on his own volition. It seemed to him like a dangerous slope, without Seimei’s prevention here he was, back at Sensei’s side. 

Ritsu didn’t have the gall to reply, what was he to say? For once someone had left him speechless.


End file.
